Field of the Invention
This invention is directed toward a sewer pipe fitting assembly for establishing a fluid-tight connection with the side wall of a sewage pipe.
Description of the Related Art
Repair and alteration of sewer and other fluid transport systems is a vital component of infrastructure maintenance and improvement. Accordingly, it is often necessary as systems expand or undergo changes to create new branches to redirect fluid, such as to new sewer services that are being connected to existing sewer pipes.
Currently, such alterations are very expensive and time-consuming. They typically require excavating a site to establish access to the existing pipe, which can require cutting through pavement and other surface improvements. Current methods also require significant excavation so as to expose a large surface area of the pipe for connecting a branch. The risks associated with excavation are magnified in the case of aged infrastructure, particularly for clay tile pipes, as wear and tear often renders the pipe brittle and particularly susceptible to damage. In addition, excavating and branching the pipe is a very time-consuming process that can easily require a crew of more than a half dozen workers and heavy machine operators, costing thousands of dollars per hour. And, once the branch is established, the excavation site has to be refilled and any surface improvements restored. Large excavation sites carry a risk of settling and shifting in filling materials, often necessitating further repair well after the primary job of branching the pipe has been completed.
Moreover, the pipe fittings currently used to establish a branch connection are typically friction fit or mechanical created pressure, which stress the pipe and can easily damage it.
What is needed in the art is an adapter that requires exposure of less of the surface area of the pipe to be branched, thereby significantly reducing deployment time as well as installation and repair costs. Such an adapter may use compression, as opposed to friction or mechanical pressure, to establish a fluid-tight seal with the pipe, which has the added benefit of potentially reinforcing the sidewall of the pipe.